I would like to lodge a formal complaint on my job active provider Advanced Personal Management (APM) in Sydney and I would like this issue to be investigated by the department.
My job agent has reported I have failed to attend an appointment on 7/Oct and has placed a “blockage” that according to Centrelink is preventing them from processing my Austudy claim.
I went to an appointment anon that day but not at 3pm but at 3:09pm because I thought my appointment was on 3:15pm according to Online Job active account that I can access through MyGov website. I checked the appointment time a week before the appointment and it stated 3:15 pm 7/Oct but when I went there, I was told the appointment start at 3pm and finish at 3:15pm.
When I went there and sat in the waiting area my job agent came out around 3:20 pm after I texted that I was waiting outside. I was told that I failed to attend the appointment and that my payment has been cancelled. I was told that I need to come in for another appointment the following Monday to continue the payment which I declined as I was already studying full time in approved course (1/Oct) and have already lodged Austudy claim and all necessary documents to Centrelink (26/Sep).
Since then, I have been studying full time and been checking back with Centrelink about my claim only to be told today (17 Oct) that they cannot process my Austudy claim because my Job active provider has placed a blockage on my account because of that 7/ Oct appointment incident where I did attend and provider even photocopied my 20 job search sheet. (By the way, this is one of many appointments I have had with my job agent which include 2 appointments a month plus 4 internet job search at her office a month, all this when Centrelink minimum requirement for payment is 1 appointment a month )
Centrelink told me I need to contact APM to unblock my account which I did today only to be told I need to make an appointment with her and “re-engage” with her on activity when I have clearly said I am studying full time and have lodged an Austudy claim mid September. MY job agent also said I need to discuss with her all the missed appointments up until now which again totally ignoring what I said and where I am coming from.
There are also several other things I would like to report on her misconduct :
1. My WFTD program supposed to start on 25/July but my provider set the start date on 27/July only to ask me later to fill in the missing 2 days when its not a “missed” day but her lack of duty of care
2. She arranged a work trial with logistic company called “Designer transport” (26 Aug) and said it was a paid trial when it wasn’t at all
3. APM said it was a “compulsory” to attend “Internet job search at her office every week” plus “appointment every fortnight” (26/July ) before I even signed the job active agreement (and she knows I have my own computer and internet, which the requirement was nothing but time/energy and transport money waste) when I know the minimum requirement from Centrelink is “once a month appointment”
4. She asked for a copy of my resume and sent it to employer with a cover letter she wrote on her own poorly impersonating me without my permission on Gumtree. (24 Aug)
5. When I raised issue with APM regarding this misconduct. They stated they were going easy with me compared to other providers and that they started emphasising the job active agreement saying I need to do internet Job search at her office every week for full 2 hours when the agreement itself states “Between 2-4pm” NOT “from 2-4pm” let alone if coming in for internet job search at her office in the first place isn’t enough and its not even justifiable.